Kiwis back from disaster against Indonesia
Kiwis back from disaster against Indonesia
Agence France-Presse, Invercargill, New Zealand
Davis Cup veteran Alistair Hunt brought New Zealand back from the brink to avoid an opening round disaster in the tennis tie against Indonesia here Friday.
Hunt beat Indonesian No 1 Suwandi 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to square the rubber at 1-1.
But Kiwi No 1 Mark Nielsen never settled into his game before going down to Peter Handoyo 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Hunt, 29, produced a fighting performance when New Zealand were staring down the barrel of a 0-2 deficit after the first day.
He came from behind after losing the first set to win in five.
It was a great finish to a dramatic night for New Zealand who are ranked 24th in world Davis Cup rankings compared with Indonesia's 37.
The Kiwi experience and home crowd support added to Hunt's grit in keeping New Zealand's hopes alive. Hunt, in his eighth year of Davis Cup tennis, broke Suwandi's serve at 6-5 to snatch the second set and the hope of upsetting the world's 290th best player.
The big New Zealander lost the third set 6-4, but snatched the fourth set with a series of impeccable backhands. Suwandi broke Hunt in the first game of the fifth set but, after complaining to the referee about a bad line call, never regained his concentration.
Hunt shot out to a 4-1 lead and finally took the set 6-3, punching his fists in the air at victory.
"I guess Davis Cup brings out the best in me. You always try for your country. I'm just about on my last legs and I enjoyed every moment of it out there," he said.
Captain Glen Wilson said the crowd support was "fantastic" and it was a great effort by Hunt to keep New Zealand in the tie.
"I know Alistair. I have played with him and he's outstanding in those situations. He can withstand the pressure," Wilson said. Hunt said he felt encouraged as the game progressed.
"I felt he (Suwandi) started to fade as the game wore on and his serve was not as potent," he said.
Indonesia took a 1-0 lead when their No 2 American-based Handoyo overcame a jittery start to outclass Nielsen.
Nielsen started fiercely, breaking serve in the first game and opening his service game with an ace.
He broke again in the third to win the first set 6-2 in less than 30 minutes.
But the younger Indonesian player, in only his third Davis Cup appearance, wore away the Kiwi's confidence.
Handoyo, the No 1 player at the University of Tennessee, showed more fluent court speed and agility. He broke Nielsen's serve to take a 6-5 lead in the second set.